WAM Chicago, May 22nd, 2012 (WAM) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has stressed the importance of partnership with the United Arab Emirates under the "Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI)" and within "ISAF" forces operating in Afghanistan.

Nicola De Santis, NATO Public Diplomacy Division Coordinator expressed alliance appreciation for the UAE and its political leadership for their fruitful cooperation.

In a statement to Emirates News Agency (WAM), on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago he said that UAE is one of the main NATO's partners in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and we are continually communicating with them in respect of the situation in Afghanistan and the peace process in the Middle East.

He said that for the time being we are focused on moving forward in cooperation with UAE within the framework of the Istanbul Initiative to promote mutual understanding between the UAE and NATO and rest of the participating countries of t ICI.

For his part, General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee said that "The future challenges of terrorism, ballistic missiles and electronic warfare requires a defensive device that will dictate collective cooperation not only through NATO alone, but also across all partners in the Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative." He stressed that the security of the Gulf is as much crucial to bloc as for other countries, since regional stability has same importance to all NATO nations.

Italian Minister of Defense Giampaolo Di Paola also hailed UAE's positive role within the framework of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which also includes Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait. He also commended its significant role and contribution in helping the Afghanistan construction and stability operations.

He also noted the significant role of the UAE in achieving security and stability saying, "UAE is a role model in supporting security and stability in many parts of the world." WAM/ES/AM